


The Tower of Joy

by DGinLDO



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Gen, Tower of Joy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-30
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2019-01-20 02:26:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12423168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DGinLDO/pseuds/DGinLDO
Summary: What happened at the Tower of Joy after Bran's vision ended and Robert's soldiers arrived.





	The Tower of Joy

Eddard Stark raised his head from his sister, Lyanna’s, shoulder. He had felt her breathe her last there in the Tower of Joy, after she had given birth to her son. Her beautiful dark eyes were still open, but they were empty of the fire that had filled them when she was alive. Tears streaming down his face, Ned closed her eyes and gently kissed her forehead. There was nothing more he could do for her now. No maester that he knew of could ever bring her back now, & even his Old Gods taught that no one who had ever crossed the boundary between Life & Death could return. 

The room was still, and for a moment he forgot that he had promised Lyanna to protect her son from his friend, Robert Baratheon, First of His Name, who was now King of Iron Throne. Then the newborn baby let out a piercing shriek, and a harsh, new reality came crashing down on Ned’s shoulders. “My Lord, what should I do with the baby?” asked one of Lyanna’s attendants. “He needs to nurse, but his mother is dead.” 

Something inside Ned snapped. “I know damn well my sister is dead!” He turned, and immediately regretted his outburst when he saw the look of abject fear on the attendant’s face. He was still in armor, after all, & wore the blood of the men who had been guarding the Tower. He sighed. “Forgive me, madam. I am too emotional at losing my sister right as I found her again. As for what to do with my nephew, I have no clue.” 

“Perhaps finding him a wet nurse is in order,” came a deep voice from the doorway. Ned turned & saw the Tower’s maester standing there with medicines he had gone to fetch in order to save Lyanna’s life. “I am sorry about your sister, Princess Lyanna. She was a kind woman to everyone here, always full of laughter and the fire that our lord, Prince Rhaeghar loved so much. The world now seems much darker without her, Lord Stark.” There was a brief pause as the men looked at each other. “My apologies, Lord Stark. I am Maester Ebrose.”

Ned suppressed the wave of anger that threatened to boil up from his middle and explode all over the room. How had it all come to this, with Lyanna dead, & a newborn child in danger of having his head dashed on the nearest wall should he childhood friend ever find out who the father was. “Thank you, Maester Ebrose. I trust you know of some woman who could do this? I am a stranger here.” 

The Maester smiled wanly. “Yes, you are, Lord Stark. Perhaps allow my Lady’s attendants to prepare her body for interment at Dragon Stone. There is much you do not know.” 

Ned gritted his teeth & spit out “My sister was a lady of Winterfell, & will come north with me for burial in my family’s crypt. I will not tolerate her being separated from her family for one day longer than I have to. Besides, King Robert has opened up the crypt at Dragon Stone and thrown all the Targaryen remains into the sea.”

Ebrose’s eyes fell. “I am sorry to hear that, my lord. I had hoped for my lady to be reunited with Prince Rhaegar.” There was a tense, awkward pause in which no person in the room knew what more to say. Then the baby wailed again, and the Maester nodded to the woman holding him to find another to feed him. The woman handed the baby back to Ned before leaving the room.

Ned and the Maester left Lyanna’s room together, Ned allowing the Maester to lead the way to the Tower’s great hall. “You there!” called the Maester to one of the women attending Lyanna. “Bring some wine and food for Lord Stark immediately!” 

The Maester guided Ned to the High Chair at the main table. Ned started, surprised that the Maester would give him such an honor. “Maester Ebrose, this is not my house, nor my table. My place is not here.” 

“My Lord Stark, as guardian of the sole surviving son of Prince Rhaegar and his wife, Princess Lyanna, this indeed is your house, your hall, your table. At least until the boy reaches his majority. Until then, you are, in fact, the Lord Protector of the Seven Kingdoms.” 

“IF he reaches his majority, you mean.” Ned pondered what would happen when Robert found out about the child until a new wave of grief washed over him. 

The Maester guided him into the chair and place a goblet of wine in his hands. “Here, my Lord Stark. Drink this. Sit and think for a short while. As I said earlier, I have much information to give you, yet I fear little time in which to do so.” Ned sat in silence while the Maester ambled towards the door, the chains around his neck clinking softly as he moved. 

Ned’s thoughts and emotions, usually under such tight control, raged wildly inside his heart and mind. He was known for his loyalty to his friends and his family, but now those two alliances were at violent odds with each other and he was at a loss as to which one he should hold strong to. His childhood friend, who had been fostered with him at the Aerie, was now King of the Iron Throne, and had proclaimed to everyone that Lord Eddard Stark was his most loyal friend. Robert had rebelled against the Mad King, the last of the Targaryen invaders to rule over Westeros, when his son, Prince Rhaegar broke into Winterfell and kidnapped Ned’s sister, Lyanna, and raped her. That then, is who he should remain loyal to—his friend Robert, who had been wrongfully deprived of his beloved betrothed, the last victim of the Targaryen Dynasty. He asked for my loyalty, thought Ned. And I gave it gladly and willingly. 

And yet, tickled a little voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Lyanna’s, reminded him that loyalty to family was more important than loyalty to friends. She had begged him to protect her son, born of House Targaryen yes, but also of House Stark, and raise him at Winterfell. If Lyanna had been forcefully kidnapped and raped, why would she give the last of her strength to making sure her baby was safe or give him a Targaryen name? Robert had sworn to kill any and all Targaryens he could find, including babies and children. Now the voice spoke out more forcefully, & there was no doubt in Ned’s mind that the voice was his sister’s: “That is why you left him, Ned. Your search for me was mere pretense. You are an honorable man. You do not wage war on the innocent. My son, Aegon, is innocent.” 

Ned slammed the goblet onto the table before him. “REED? HOWLAND REED?” shouted Ned. “Get in here, now!”

“No need to shout, Ned. I’m right here.” 

Startled, Ned looked up and saw Howland sitting right in front of him, on the other side of the table, eating a bowl of stew. 

“I’ve been behind you this whole time. You’ve been brooding in your mind for a while now. I thought it best to leave you to it. Gods know what I would do if I found my sister dying. Probably kill everyone there and ask questions later.” He shrugged and plowed back into his bowl of stew. 

“We were wrong, Howland. Wrong about why and how Lyanna disappeared and about Ser Arthur Dayne. Someone lied.” Ned paused for a moment, thinking over the bloody fight that had taken place outside. “Damn, being stabbed in the back is no way for someone like him to die.” 

Howland raised an eyebrow and gave Ned a quizzical look. “Well, if I hadn’t have done that, we wouldn’t be sitting here now, would we?” 

Ned smiled wanly. “True, and Gods bless you for that. But that fact dies with us, Howland. Dayne was following his orders, guarding the one he believed was the rightful king.” 

Reed shrugged his shoulders. He had joined the Rebellion because his Lord required him to do so. He left the Rebellion because his Lord required him to do so. That he agreed with his lord in both circumstances was of no consequence. Now his Lord wanted his silence on how a great knight actually died. While his pride gave out a twinge of anger, all Reed really wanted to know was when he could go home. He did not like the south and its heat and longed for the riverlands and marshes where his home and hearth were. “So, what’s this about a baby?” he asked, attempting to keep Ned from retreating back into his head and beating himself up some more. Sometimes, it was a real pain in the ass to serve a lord so diligent about being trustworthy and honorable. 

Ned played with the stew set in front of him, not really hungry, but needing something to do with his hands. “She had his baby, Howland, & named him ‘Aegon.’ Willingly! It seems we were lied to about her relationship with Rhaegar.” 

“Well, that’s a problem I’m glad is not mine, Ned. No offense. Lyanna was always strong-willed. She always got what she wanted anyway.” 

“But why, Howland? Why run away with the son of the Mad King? Why abandon her betrothed? Did family loyalty mean nothing to her?” Ned replied, not really expecting an answer. 

“Perhaps she did not want to be betrothed to Robert? I believe you mentioned there were arguments about it. Your father would not let her out of the match, so she left with Rhaegar.” Ned could only stare at his bannerman in shock. It had never occurred to him before that Lyanna would actually feel so strongly about who she was wed to that she would defy their father’s orders.

“My Lord,” said the deep voice of the Maester, who had re-entered the hall. “As I said before, we have little time for me to tell you all you need to know before you return to the North. Perhaps if we could speak alone…?” 

“My bannerman will keep my counsel, Maester. You may speak freely in front of him.” interrupted Ned. Howland nodded his head in agreement. “Speak quickly. I wish to spend no more time in this place than I have to.”

“As you know, my lord, the usurper has declared war on all Targaryens, no matter how young or old. No one knows the truth about Lyanna and her child, except the five of us here at the Tower.” 

“Five?” Ned said abruptly. “Oh yes, the attending women. I forgot about them.”

“Most men do,” replied the Maester. He placed some documents on the table in front of Ned. “If you will read these documents, you will see that Prince Rhaegar married your sister, Lyanna, after asking the High Septon to annul his marriage to Elia Martel. Lyanna, in turn, after receiving news of Rhaegar’s death, named you as guardian of her child, with the request for you to protect him until he reached his majority.” Ned did his best to read the documents, but the words on them blurred together. His world had been turned upside down and nothing was making any sense. 

“Ned, you know what this means?” asked Reed. “Robert can never know that Lyanna had a child. He will know he is not the father and Rhaegar was. If we go North with this child, and with the name Lyanna gave him, he’s as good as dead once Robert hears the news. We probably won’t live very long, either.” 

Ned gritted his teeth. “Do you think I don’t know that, Howland? What should I do? Claim his as my own bastard, while my wife remained behind at Winterfell to give birth to our first son?” 

The Maester and Reed looked at each other. “Well,” replied the crannogman, “he does look more like you than he does me, and once he starts growing, there will be no doubt in anyone’s mind that he is not a Reed.”

Howland Reed stood up, and took out his sword. He walked a few steps back, then knelt before Ned, presenting him with his sword. “I am your bannerman, Lord Stark. Order me to say that this child was yours by some woman in the South, and I will repeat that story until my last day. Whatever else you wish me to say about the events of today, I will also repeat. I will never disclose to anyone the true events of today, unless ordered to do so by the King in the North.” 

Ned stood before he replied. “I would so order you, Howland Reed. But, as my bannerman, you owe me your loyalty so long as it does not bring you dishonor. Do you not think it dishonorable to lie?” 

Howland raised his eye’s to Ned’s. “Lying to protect an innocent life is not dishonorable, my lord. Like you, I do not make war on women and children.” Ned was taken aback by this. He had taken Reed’s loyalty for granted, and never considered that his bannerman shared his views on Robert’s latest actions. 

“Well, then, Howland Reed, as my bannerman, I order you to never disclose to anyone the true events of today.”   
Howland tilted his head. “You forgot the last part.” 

Ned raised his eyebrow. “About the King in the North? Those days are long gone, Reed. Better to say you keep quiet unless ordered to say otherwise by the Lord of Winterfell.” 

“Precisely, Lord Stark. There will always be a Lord of Winterfell. There never will be a King in the North again.” Ned, surprised by Reed’s logic, responded “Fine. Howland Reed, as my bannerman, I order you to never disclose to anyone the true events of today, unless ordered to do so by the King in the North.” 

“I so swear, by the Old Gods, I shall keep my vow to you that I made freely and willingly from this day until my last day. Now and Always.” Reed bowed his head once more, then stood up. 

“Now, what is the story we tell everyone else?” Ned looked at the Maester. “I presume that the Citadel will need to record Rhaegar’s marriage to my sister, and the birth of their son.” The Maester nodded. “Is there anyway you can file that information with them, yet also make it difficult to find?” The Maester smiled. “You have never seen the Great Library, my lord. It will be easy for me to do both tasks, and then return here.” “No.” said Ned abruptly. “Once Robert finds out my sister is dead, he will look everywhere for anyone who was here, wanting information about her. Best you remain at the Citadel until I or my ward call for you.” 

The Maester gave Ned an angry look. “My place, my lord, is with you and the King!” 

“And how do I explain both a bastard child AND a Maester to my wife? Winterfell already has a Maester. Your presence would only make Robert curious. He will barely believe I could father a bastard child in the first place. Asking Robert to believe that this boy is so important that he needs his own Maester will make him suspect the truth. I cannot have that happen, Maester. The last thing my sister heard was my vow to protect her child.” 

The Maester slowly bowed his head. “Regretfully, what you have said is true, my lord. My wish is to always be at your side, and then the King’s, but I will wait for your call at the Citadel. But there is one thing more, my lord. What is the child’s name?”

Ned was taken aback. A name for the newborn was the last thing on his mind, then he remembered one of his sister’s fervent whispers. “My sister named him ‘Aegon Targaryen.’ Put that in your official account. To the rest of the world, his name shall be ‘Jon Snow.’ A bastard name for a bastard child.” Ned shook his head. “Cat will never forgive me.” 

The men were startled by a loud knocking on the door. The Maester walked over to open it while Ned and Howland stood up, hands on their swords. All were relieved when it was one of Lyanna’s attendants, bringing with her another young woman. “My lord, this is one of our lady’s attendants. She had her own baby not two days’ ago, which is why she wasn’t present. Her baby has died but she has agreed to nurse our lady’s child.”

Ned looked over the young woman who offered to be nursemaid to his nephew. “You realize that you will have to leave here and travel north with me us.” The woman nodded. “I order you to always claim this child is yours and mine. His name is ‘Jon.’ Can you swear to that?” The young woman looked surprised, but managed to squeak out “Yes, my lord. I will do anything you say.” 

“Fine, then. Take her to the baby. Have everyone ready to leave on a moment’s notice.” As the woman was being led out of the hall, a horn sounded in the distance. Once again, Ned and Howland grabbed their swords. Howland ran outside, while Ned remained with the Maester. “I do not know who is on their way, but it is best that you leave now. Hide your chains, pretend to be a servant, I do not care. Just do not let those documents out of your sight until you reach the Citadel!” Not waiting for the Maester’s reply, Ned rushed out the door. “As you wish, my lord.” called the Maester to Ned. The Maester then turned and fled to the kitchens, where he knew he could find clothes to fit him and a place to hide his chains. 

Ned rushed outside to stand with Howland. “False alarm, Ned. Those are Robert’s troops, approaching.” Ned quickly glanced at Howland. “Have you forgotten your vow already, Reed?” Howland looked perturbed. “Of course not, Ned. As far as they will ever know, we killed all the Kingsguard, but were not able to save your sister. Eight of us fought here. Only two of us survived.” 

And so, that is how it came to be known that Eddard Stark killed Ser Arthur Dayne at the Tower of Joy, only to find his sister dead in a pool of blood inside. After the arriving troops helped him to dismantle the Tower and create a monument to the men who died there, he travelled North towards Winterfell with his bannerman, Howland Reed, his bastard child, Jon Snow, and the child’s mother, a young woman named “Wylla.”


End file.
